Norton 2011 Beta and Free Tools

By Taylor Thomas

We still have plenty of 2010 left, but those who are looking at the future of computer security, look no further: Symantec has released the 2011 lineup of their flagship software for beta testing.

For those too anxious to read any further, here are the download links:

Norton has been known to set the benchmark for antivirus (and internet security) software, and last year’s (read: this year’s) 2010 edition is still one of our favorite antivirus software for overall efficacy and efficiency.

Norton 2011 is slated to deliver more innovative technology, features, and continued speed and performance, all from the trusted Norton label. The unique System Insight and Download Insight technologies that we liked so much from 2010 have been upgraded and continue to provide a whole new level of resource management and security, respectively.

Norton System Insight 2.0 is actually concerned more with performance, allowing users to see (in real-time or historically) what programs are causing slowdown. System Insight can even proactively alert you if a program is starting to hog resources (but don’t worry, you can always turn them off).

Norton Download Insight 2.0 uses Norton’s huge amount of information on files (both good and bad) to let you quickly see the reputation of any file you intend to download. It only takes a second, and gives you the general trustworthiness of any file before you make the decision to download or not. One million users and a good reputation? No worries. Only 5 downloads ever and an unknown reputation? Better be cautious. This technology proved remarkably effective in Norton 2010, and is now going to be available for all the major internet browsers and IM clients.

And while they continue to add meaningful features and adapt to fight the newest online threats, Norton also promises to deliver a security solution that has superior protection and the potential to actually improve performance (whereas most antivirus solutions are lucky to just say they don’t cause noticeable slowdown).

The beta announcement isn’t just good news for Norton users either, but introduces two new security tools that are now available free for everyone.
In addition to the previously mentioned improvements, here’s a quick look at some of the new features to expect from Norton 2011:

Norton Power Eraser
This free new tool from Norton is designed for getting rid of those pesky fake antivirus software programs and other scareware. Whether they’re malicious or just plain annoying, even competent PC users have fallen prey to these targeted attacks. The Norton Power Eraser helps uncover and remove these hard-to-remove viruses.

Norton Bootable Recovery Tool
This one is only available for Norton users (and technically it has been in previous versions of Norton but wasn’t nearly as easy to locate or use), but it’s for those worst case scenarios where a virus has made the computer completely inoperable (and/or won’t even boot up). The Bootable Recovery Tool will help you easily create a Rescue Boot Disc (or USB drive) that you can use later to fully restore the system. In the event of an emergency, simply load the disc or drive, and it will pre-empt the traditional bootup (even the operating system), allowing Norton to effectively locate and remove the threat.

Norton SafeWeb for Facebook
For those unfamiliar with Norton SafeWeb, it basically provides an at-a-glance security insight to any link on a page, which helps you to make an informed decision before you click. Norton users have already enjoyed the color-coded symbol on popular search engines, email, and even chat/IM. Now everyone can easily add the Norton SafeWeb Application to their Facebook news feed. I’ll be honest, it takes a little getting used to, but it’s less egregious (not to mention more useful) than some of the Facebook changes I’ve seen.

We’re going to enjoy some more time with the beta, and will look forward to putting both Norton Antivirus 2011 and Norton Internet Security 2011 to the test when they are commercially released later in the year. For now, check out the free beta and test its security as you point your browser to our comprehensive reviews and/or articles on computer security:

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